Concubine of Thor
by Serenitychan13
Summary: A young woman is simply taking a bath when a manservant of the Thunder God comes to her, informing her that she has been selected as a concubine of the god Thor. She takes it for an attempt at human trafficking - if only that were as far as it went! Smut.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own Marvel, Thor, or anything else. I'm reasonably sure Disney owns those now… Not sure how I feel about that… Yeah, anyway – not mine, don't sue. And if you're underage, you can read this chapter, but then you have to go away. This is getting smutty FAST.**_

Prologue

It started as a reasonably normal evening for the young woman. Work had been a nightmare, of course. Working waitstaff had to be the closest thing left to legal slavery in America, she decided. People would be ashamed of themselves if they could see, like on camera, just how they treated servers. Hell, she'd had one guy threaten to _smack _her because he didn't have enough mustard! And where was her protection? It wasn't like she could call the cops or anything – she'd get shitcanned in a minute if she tried that! It pissed her off cos that was supposed to be a nice place she worked at!

Well, nice-_ish_. Somebody honked their horn at her and she realized that she was just pissing herself off again. Waitstaff sucked, there was nothing she could do to change that, and she just had to live with it. Hopefully she'd have enough money soon to pay two or three months' rent in advance. Then she could try something a step up, like retail maybe. Ugh… nobody ever hired college students, even in a college town. So she turned up the volume on the Wicked soundtrack and continued belting "The Wizard and I."

Still heartily pissed off, she pulled her junk-ass car into the apartment's lot and skidded damn near sideways into the nearest space to her own front door. Grumbling, irritable, and smelling strongly of fryer grease, she yanked her keys and their many key-chains out of the ignition. With a grumpy sight, she manually flicked the lock lever closed as she opened the door. The strap of her purse caught on the emergency brake handle. She swore out loud, drawing stares, and quite nearly shut her long brown ponytail in the closing door.

After kicking the car once more for good measure, she stomped to the front door.

Fumbling through so many keys and key-chains had her distracted. If anyone might be watching her, she neither noticed nor cared. Her front door, swollen from humidity, required a kick as well before it opened. She threw her purse down on the couch, disturbing her cat. The fat gray creature flumped down off the furniture and retreated to the bedroom. Rolling her eyes, the young lady followed the cat and, once in her own room, began shedding clothing. She sniffed herself and grimaced – being nose-deep in grease made her crazy.

Stark naked, she kicked a path through her cluttered bedroom to the attached bathroom and set her cell phone on the counter. Mom had always told her to keep that close, in case she fell or something. Then she bent over and turned on the tap over the bathtub. Stoppering the tub, she turned to the mirror and studied herself with a critical eye. _Hmm…_ With summer on the way, she'd have to do something about those tan lines. Working as a waitress made her look so tired, she observed with distaste.

Still, she didn't see all "bad" in the mirror. She had pretty rockin' hips, if she did say so herself. Not crazy about her thighs, but then what woman was ever happy with her own thighs? She flexed her left arm, then her right – yeah, she was fuckin' strong! Lifting goddamn trays all day and half her nights, she thought bitterly. Huh, she could stand to do a few more crunches in her off-time, but guys liked a bit of softness, right? Right – crunches could wait until after bath time… or tomorrow even. And hell, to top it all off, she had freaking AMAZING boobs. That much she could admit. She didn't even know 32DD _was _a bra size until that random trip to Vicky's Secret.

Okay – she shook herself back down to Earth and grabbed the nearest clean towel. Next, she fumbled round for a hair-tie and pulled that long ponytail into a rather messy knot at the back of her head. Bath products wouldn't do for her length of hair. Her ambition was to grow it out to classic-length – then she'd look like a mermaid. Giggling at her silliness, she shut the cat out of the bathroom and stepped into the tub.

For once, she'd gotten the temperature really close to exactly right. Not too hot – matter of fact, it could stand to be a little warmer. So she turned the knob up and leaned back. Ugh… It was not right to work servers ten hours at a time. "Double shift" her ass! If they ever pulled that crap again, she was calling the Better Business Bureau! Not that it would do any good… But she let the unpleasantness slip away from her as she relaxed into the hot water.

After a few minutes, her overactive mind kicked back on and she had to find something to _do_ with her hands. She found her favorite bath sponge, one of those white poofy things, and the soap she got at her last Renaissance faire. It smelled earthy – she couldn't name what all was in it. So she lathered up and started scrubbing the diner's grime from her shoulders. It should have ceased to surprise and disgust her, how much _ick _from the place got through her clothes. Yet somehow, it still made her wrinkle her nose and wish the whole chain would just burn itself to the ground spontaneously.

She rinsed her shoulders, enjoying the sensual repetition of letting water spill from her hand down her tired skin. Closing her eyes, she imagined for a moment that she was someplace else, like a Turkish bath or a Japanese hot spring. For that kind of relaxation, she wouldn't mind sharing water space with a monkey… Then she moved down to her breasts. Yeah. She _totally _had the best rack of any girl in the diner – not that she'd _mention _it to anybody. And those too, she enjoyed letting warm water stream down over.

Her arms got finished quickly. She found herself growing hot and bothered, eager to curl up with Cosmo and finish her evening with some personal time. But she still needed to do her legs. They made all the servers wear pants – probably because they didn't want them cleaning up in tips from wearing skirts. Either way, she needed to do a bit of feminine maintenance before proceeding. So she found the can and her razor and started lathering up her left leg.

That's when she noticed the eyes in her bathroom mirror that did not belong to her. Flat eyes… Grayish-blue eyes… _Creepy _eyes!

Thankfully the razor had not touched her skin yet when her hand jolted horribly and she dropped it in the bath. The shave gel can went flying as she scrambled to cover herself. But then she checked herself – obviously she was just tired, she told herself sternly. It wasn't uncommon for a young lady living alone with her cat to just spook herself and have a fit over nothing, right? There were NO eyes in her mirror and she should return to her normal activities. Right? Right.

So she fished up her razor and started on her left ankle, determinedly not looking at the mirror. Last thing she needed on her day off tomorrow – planning on laying out and all – was a band-aid tan from a shaving cut. She finished her left leg with methodical precision and started lathering her right. But before she even picked up her razor again, she peered suspiciously at the fogging mirror. Just to be on the safe side, she closed the commode lid, leaned out as far as she could, and set her cell phone on it.

Still rolling her eyes at her jumpy moment, she ran her razor up her leg just as she had before. Then, as she was just rinsing the blade in the bath water, her eyes drifted to the mirror again and this time she screamed.

EYES. There could be no doubt this time about what she had seen. There were _eyes_ – creepy, flat, grayish blue eyes – staring back out of her. To make matters worse, now there was a swarthy, wrinkled face that these eyes belonged to. The young lady expelled all the air in her lungs in one quick sigh. But then she took a deep breath and looked away from the mirror. She _had _to be seeing things. So she _stared _at her razor as she fastidiously went over every inch of her right leg. There! Finished!

She grabbed her towel and wrapped it round her body with a bit more primness than she might otherwise. Shaking her head furiously, she told herself she was _seeing things _and that was that! But then the ugly old face _spoke._

"I apologize, maiden, for disturbing your bath," it said. "But you see, it was almost pointless to let you finish. There are much finer bathing chambers where we are destined."

The young woman swung around, clutching her towel to her chest and eyes blazing angrily.

"Look old man, I don't know who you are or how you got in here, but I'm calling the cops," she told him, grabbing her cell phone.

"Maiden, I fear I must tell you," the old man's voice turned gravelly and vaguely threatening. "You will be summoning no one tonight. You see, you have been chosen as concubine for the god Thor…"

"Chosen, my ass! Don't try getting all spooky with me! Thor… really!" she yelled at him, frantically typing in '911' on her phone. "You _chose _the wrong girl to try and rope into human trafficking! I'm calling the cops and your old ass is going to wind up in jail for this crap!"

The phone barely rang when a lady picked up.

"911, what is your emergency?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yeah, my name's Maria Barsi and I live out at University Place," the girl sputtered quickly. "I dunno how he got in or anything like that, but there's a crazy man in my apartment and he's trying to abduct me. Said something about the god Thor…"

The lady on the other end of the phone went "Huh!"

"No ma'am, I'm not on drugs or drunk or anything! I swear to God! This is real!" the young lady practically screamed into the phone, growing frantic as she sensed the woman didn't believe her. "No really! He's not a 'figment of my imagination' or anything!"

At the same time, the old man did the unthinkable. The girl's eyes widened as this figment of her imagination stepped out of her bathroom mirror. One of his wizened old hands reached out for her.

"Maiden, panicking will only make this unpleasant," he told her warningly. "You cannot defy a royal order and you have been selected for the god Thor…"

The young woman tried to fumble for the bathroom doorknob, but it had… what? Locked itself! She yanked at the knob, trying to break down the bathroom door, still screaming into the phone. The woman on the 911 end of the phone had obviously taken the call for a prank. She sounded upset. Still, the young lady tried to convince her.

"Please ma'am, don't hang up! I swear to God! There's this old nut-job in my apartment and he's trying to-"

Without further warning and with surprising speed, the old man's hand shot out and clamped round her upper arm. The phone went flying and the 911 operator heard a struggle. The young woman had been serious, she realized.

"AAAARGH!"

On the other side of the door, the cat hid under the bed, meowing furiously. The phone had shattered on the wet floor. In the 911 call center, the operator clicked furiously, attempting to trace the call. It took her a moment to place the complex and she still couldn't narrow it down to the exact apartment. But she picked up her land-line phone and got in touch with the dispatcher. What in all hell had just happened?

The young woman's world had gone black.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **_**Sorry, not mine. I don't own any of this stuff but the idea for the particular story. So don't sue. You won't get squat out of it. You can have my soda. Also, sorry, no smut this chapter cos I'm still building it up. Unless you consider an all-girls bath scene smut. Then cool.**_

Chapter 1

Ugh… where was she? Maria came to in a room too dark and hazy to clearly make out her surroundings. It was weird. She couldn't remember having been hit. Could the old man have drugged her somehow? Raising a hand to her neck, she discovered that she had been tucked quite neatly into a bed. She couldn't feel an injection site. Hadn't she read that traffickers sometimes used sodium pentothal in injectable form to encourage compliance? Squirming around, she came to the conclusion that she had not been restrained. Also… wherever they had taken her, this bed was really comfortable!

Turning her head, she still couldn't get a decent idea of the room around her. The faint smell of incense found her nose, but she couldn't place the scent – only the… could she call it texture? She could feel the smoke in her nostrils. It wasn't like cigarette smoke or even wood smoke. It felt softer somehow. Could it be drugged? Or hallucinogenic? Was that how they controlled the girls here?

Traffickers. It had to be human traffickers. She couldn't see any other reason for that loony old man to kidnap her from her bath of all things. Letting out a heavy sigh, she started to think of a way out. But how? She had no way of knowing how long she had been unconscious. Or where they had taken her. Hell, she could be in a different _country_ and that lady from 911 thought it was a prank!

But she didn't have time to feel sorry for herself. At that moment, the door opened. Maria steeled herself for whatever might come next. If she had to fight or hit back or however she had to defend herself, she had to get ready… She heard fabric rustling. There were at least three people. But they sounded much smaller than the man who had taken her. She decided, for the moment, to pretend to be asleep and listen. The three talked in not-very-low whispers and they had untraceable accents.

"… I believe Mistress is asleep," Maria distinctly heard – it was a woman's voice. Okay, she'd read about this too, using already-brainwashed girls to indoctrinate new arrivals. "Ladies, shall we wake her? It's bound to be a bit of a shock, coming here so suddenly…"

Maria made her decision. She sat up ramrod-straight.

"No need – I'm awake," she told them, folding her arms over her chest. "And I want to know what the hell's going on."

The three young women, Maria's age give or take, gave each other puzzled looks.

"Where shall we start, Mistress?" the one who had suggested waking her asked. The other two looked rather afraid to speak. "I don't doubt this is surprising at least!"

"Ya think?" Maria couldn't help snapping back. Stress did that to her sometimes. But then she looked at the one who had spoken – she cringed as if struck. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. For starters, where am I?"

The three looked at each other again. It was vaguely unsettling to Maria, as if they could somehow communicate telepathically and she couldn't. The two in the back still looked afraid to speak, but the first girl looked ready to answer. She gestured rather grandly around the room.

"Mistress is bidden welcome to Asgard!" she announced proudly, in a voice that sounded too much like a Renaissance faire performer. Her diction was too careful and her speech too perfect. "We hope that your chamber is of comfort to you!"

Maria stared.

"Okay, does that mean we're somewhere in Europe?" she asked bluntly. "I don't have a lot of patience for head games. I'm an American citizen and if you've taken me out of the country, you're in big fucking trouble!"

The girls all looked rather upset.

"We do not understand Mistress?" the first girl asked more than said. "I fear we do not recognize these places…"

It took all her self-control for Maria not to just roll her eyes. These three had to be brainwashed but good. Okay, it wouldn't do any good to give them a hard time. So she sighed and decided to see what they did know. She pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers.

"Okay, pretending for a second that one, I haven't been kidnapped, and two, this isn't totally batshit…" she mumbled, before looking up at them. "Asgard, huh? So how did you three end up here? Where are you from?"

The three exchanged looks again.

"Mistress, we are honored to serve in the halls of Asgard," the first girl told her. "It is the heroes of battle who drink and fight all day in Valhalla."

Ugh! Every word that came out of them sounded all flowery and scripted.

"Mistress seems puzzled still…" The second girl finally spoke. Her voice was light and low, like notes from a clarinet. "Indeed, it is not always warriors who do die in the battles of Midgard. And being the just and fair All-Father, the god Odin does allow us to stay and serve in his palace."

Maria blinked. This all made sense somehow. A bizarre, twisted sort of sense – it had to be a cult based on Norse mythology. So she decided to play along a bit more. She appealed to the one in the back, who still had not spoken.

"And what about you?" she asked. "Have you got something to tell me too? Like why the three of you are here?"

The girl in the back, slightly shorter than the other two and carrying a wicker basket, smiled proudly at being addressed.

"Mistress does me a great honor!" she gushed. "In faith, each lady unto the god Thor's harem is granted three handmaidens as a favor of generosity! We have come to bathe our Mistress and prepare her to meet the god tonight!"

Maria brought her jaws together twice like some sort of air-starved goldfish, causing her teeth to clack together loudly. The girls blinked owlishly back at her. She studied them carefully – the wicker basket borne by the third girl must contain some sort of bath supplies. Better she go along with it, considering heaven only knew how long it would be before she got a bath again.

"All right… Let me get this straight," she said slowly, looking back and forth at all three faces. They were a bit thicker-boned than herself, but not fat by any means – very strong and lean. All three had their hair up in a complicated arrangement of braids. And their clothes seemed to be of plain linen, almost like a Greek peplos. "I'm in Asgard because I've been chosen as some kind of… concubine for a Norse god. Assuming I'm not hideously drunk right now, this looks like it could shape out to be kind of fun. Okay, I'll go along with this."

The girls looked concerned, as though they thought Maria might be talking to herself and possibly disturbed.

"We should be glad to accompany Mistress to the bathing chamber and assist her in her bath tonight!" the first girl piped up.

"Okay, fine. Great. I'm totally game," Maria gave in. "But first, I need your names. I mean… I have to have _some _information to give the cops when they show up…"

The first girl curtsied prettily.

"If it pleases Mistress, you might call me Astrid!" she said brightly before moving aside.

The second girl stepped forward and dropped into a curtsy as well.

"In life, I am called Eira," she spoke mostly to Maria's bed covers, which were far nicer than her own college apartment, all silks and linens, with a large bear pelt on top.

The third girl inched forward and dipped into the lowest curtsy.

"And Mistress may call me Iduna," she said in a low voice with very harp-like tones. "If you please, we will show you to the bathing-chamber!"

Maria pinched herself under her blankets, winced, and heaved herself ungracefully out of the bed. She hadn't taken three steps forward before an ornately-framed full-length mirror caught her eye. The view that sprang back at her caused her to open wide her eyes and mouth with a sound enunciation…

"_DAMN!_" she half-yelled, half-whispered. "I look GOOD in that!"

The filmy, diaphanous dress hung off her frame like a flapper dress, fell to the floor, and was almost totally see-through. It was lavender – her favorite color, and embroidered across the chest and round the hem with swirling patterns. The simple shape set off every aspect of her body perfectly. It fit as though it had been designed specifically with her in mind…

"It's so pretty…" she said softly, touching the shirred fabric at her shoulders.

The three handmaidens sighed and giggled, watching her mirror admiration in seeming awe.

"The god Thor will be most pleased to hear that you enjoy his gift!" Astrid told her, studying the gown's hem.

"But surely I'm not meant to go out in public like this?" Maria asked. Then her voice turned to a yelp. "I mean, I can't _meet a god _like this! It's pretty but hell! It's see-through!"

Eira giggled lightly and tossed her braids over her shoulder.

"But of course, Mistress!" she said in a voice bright as a bell. "The god Thor must be able to see his maiden's form!"

Maria blushed to the roots of her hair.

"Okay, about that bath…"

The handmaidens bustled her down a dazzling hall, past one room after another, each tightly shut behind its own wooden door. At the very end of the hall, she could see steam seeping out around the doorframe. She nodded as they indicated to her that they approached the bathing chamber. Some of the doors had things going on behind them. She could hear giggling and rustling, even some thumps and bumps. Did this… castle have its own red-light district?

"If you will please step in here, Mistress, and raise your arms?" Iduna directed her behind a carved wooden screen.

Maria, who could guess what had to happen next, raised her arms quietly and let the three women carefully remove her dress. She continued turning several shades of red as they made admiring comments about her figure. Astrid wished for her suntanned skin. Eira found the few well-placed freckles on her body adorable. Most personally, Iduna remarked that the god Thor would love a lady who kept her secrets smooth for him. They wrapped her in a fluffy cream-colored towel and led her to small tub.

Through the next part, Maria kept both her eyes and her mouth shut. Every part of her got a thorough cleaning. Eira took charge of her hair, scrubbing it first with a bar that smelled wonderfully like fresh milk and something baked. After rinsing out the creamy lather, she smoothed on something thick. The heavy scent of roses flooded Maria's senses and she wondered a moment if it got her high. The rinse that followed felt like heaven, pure warm rose water. Then Eira settled in to comb her hair free of tangles. Astrid and Iduna washed the rest of her with charcoal soap, scented with vanilla, and boar-bristle brushes.

Feeling scrubbed and a bit too clean, Maria allowed herself to be led over to a deep-looking wood-sided pool in the center of the room. The water itself had been scented with jasmine and lavender. Surely such things had come from far away, if indeed they were in Asgard. Somehow, the whole 'being in a strange place against her will' thing had left Maria's mind during her bath. Then she startled as the girls stripped down to linen tubes of cloth and got in too.

They didn't ask her if she'd ever had a three-way deep tissue massage while barely supporting her own body weight in lusciously warm water. They didn't need to. Maria swore out loud that if she had the larynx for it, she would purr at what they were doing. Iduna asked her what a larynx was and she couldn't even find the words to explain.

Maria almost cried when the three handmaidens escorted her out of the water, wrapped her in another fluffy towel, and took her behind the screen again. She couldn't remember ever having been that relaxed in her natural life. They dressed her again in that light, filmy lavender dress. Then Iduna sat her down on a low stool covered in sheepskin and began to carefully dry her hair. With all the water squeezed out, Eira stepped in to comb it out agan. When the three saw that Maria's hair fell to her hips, they decided not to braid it up.

"If it is not too bold to say, Mistress has such beauteous hair as to compare with the goddess Freya!" exclaimed Astrid, helping Eira. "It should flow free this night, in faith. Perhaps with her unique looks and your streak of mortal charm, Mistress might win the favors of the god Thor!"

Maria swallowed hard. So far, she had ruled out being drunk, being high, hallucinating, dreaming, and head injuries. She had really been kidnapped and, tonight, some moron who thought he was Thor was going to do wrong with her. There wasn't thing one she could do about it… Biting hard into her lip, she tried hard not to cry…

Thankfully, the handmaidens chalked her watering eyes up to Eira's perhaps-too-hard combing. They smoothed perfumed oil through the last three inches so her hair would fall evenly. Maria thought it smelled, if that was even possible, of moonlight itself. Sort of like honeysuckle and a night in the South. She closed her eyes and tried not to think anymore. Then Iduna's voice broke into her reverie.

"The god Thor has sent this gift with his compliments," she said, fastening a necklace of delicate pink pearls around Maria's neck. The handmaidens cooed in admiration. "They set off Mistress's exotic features to perfection!"

Maria thanked Astrid, Eira, and Iduna for all of their help. She truly did get that they were trying to be nice. Each girl blushed, a deeper shade of crimson than the last. Murmuring in appreciation for receiving their Mistress's gratitude, they led her back to the chamber she had awakened in. Her hazel-green eyes scanned the room again.

Truly, she was in a beautiful place. She barely noticed as the handmaidens bid her good night and wished her good luck with the god Thor. All around her were gorgeous things. The hardwood floor had been coated in Persian rugs, sheepskins, bear pelts, and heavy woolen carpets. More rugs and complicated tapestries decorated the walls. There didn't seem to be a hard edge in the whole room. It was as if someone had decorated this room for a princess in the days of old, not just some whore in an unknown lunatic's harem.

Maria walked over and climbed up on the bed, higher up than she remembered, took one look around the room and began to cry in earnest.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: First of all, it's still not mine. I've got a lot of issues, but ownership of Marvel and/or Thor ain't one of 'em. Second, I promise it's going to get smutty soon! I just… For some reason it grew a plot. Don't you hate when that happens?**

Chapter 2

She could admit that she'd been in some really weird situations before. Most of them she had somehow gotten herself into. But this one just really took the cake. Every other time, she had found a way to get herself out of trouble. Sometimes she had friends to help, other times it was just dumb luck. But she always managed to come out for the most part undamaged. Maria Barsi couldn't stop crying. Sitting on the edge of the most luxurious bed in the prettiest room she had ever seen, she had never felt more helpless.

In just a matter of time – she had no way of knowing how long – some deranged moron with a god fetish was going to come in here and… She couldn't even make herself think it anymore. Try as she might to calm down and analyze the situation, she couldn't do much at this point but shake.

"Okay sweetie, you've got to get it together," she told herself aloud, choking on a load of her own snot. "Is this place guarded?"

Huh! Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen any guards… If she remembered correctly, wasn't the policy of most harems 'no-weapons'? And they had called her a pervert for reading on the subject! Hah!

As quietly as possible, with the help of the generous coating of rugs on the floor, she slid off the bed and padded to the door. The door had a simple set of hinges and a basic slide lock. She was not locked in! Gently, she turned the knob, which seemed to be made of animal bone. Thankfully, the door didn't creak – someone had oiled the hinges. She nudged it open and leaned out as far as she dared. No one around… She stepped out.

The hall she hadn't been able to study while being bustled down to the bathing chamber suddenly greeted her in full luxury. Tapestries far larger than the ones in her bedroom hung from the walls on antler holders. Instead of pelts on the floor, long, beautifully-patterned rugs lined the way. A large pile of fluff sat on the floor at the junction where one hallway met the main one. On second glance, she realized it was an extremely furry wolf-like dog.

So no _human _guards… Something gave her the feeling that she didn't want to walk past that dog. Not that she thought it might bite her, but if he got curious, she didn't need the attention. Down the other hallway, she didn't see anything else. But if she went that way, was she heading for an exit or just further into this labyrinthine palace? Wait! That was what they wanted! They wanted to confuse new arrivals into helpless indecisiveness!

Better to go a particular direction and strike out than just sit here and wait for Mr. Whack Job, right? She nodded to herself and pushed the door open just wide enough to squeeze herself out. Pausing to make sure no one had heard even the slightest disturbance, she headed down the corridor away from the dog. The whole place seemed to be made of granite and birch. Very light… She liked it better than the pictures she had seen of other castles.

Of course, she had no proper shoes. But she had experience going about barefoot – the standard escape deterrent had nothing on her. The patterned rugs were a lot softer than she had figured they might be. Frequent use? Ugh, she needed to lay off the crime shows. This corridor had fewer doors down it than the one her chamber came off of. Did that mean bigger rooms over here? If it did, whose were they?

Then a voice startled her and she let out a yell to rattle the horn-and-antler chandeliers.

"Mistress?" Oh thank heaven! It was only Eira. "Are you lost? Were you trying to find the…"

"Bathroom! Yes!" Maria thought fast. She couldn't remember if there had been a bathroom attached to her bedroom. If there was… um… maybe it was broken. "Thank you, Eira – can you show me where it is?"

The girl gave her a quizzical look and flicked one braid over her shoulder.

"Bathroom? Pardon me, Mistress, but was your bath not sufficient?" she asked, looking fretful. "Shall I summon the others and we bathe Mistress again?"

"Oh, no thank you! That's very thoughtful," Maria told her, trying to figure out how to phrase this in a way Eira might understand. "It's just… I need to use the… um… you know? Ladies' room?"

Eira mouthed back the words _ladies' room_ as though trying to put the terms together in a whole new way.

"L-lavatory, Mistress?" she asked. "Is that what you need?"

Maria nodded, trying her best to look off-put and embarrassed. The other woman seemed to understand and gestured for Maria to follow her. Maria got a sinking feeling as she realized she was being led right back to the bedroom. Eira, on the other hand, looked proud to be doing something useful, even helpful! She nudged the door to Maria's bedchamber open and allowed the new arrival to precede her into the room. Then she walked ahead, her head bowed low, and indicated a tapestry at the far corner of the room.

"Mistress, if you'll see here, there is a small passageway from every bedchamber to the lavatories," she explained. "This passage, of course, leads to the women's chambers. There are also boudoir areas there, with mirrors and a place to care for your skin and hair. Back there, ladies in Asgard remain totally undisturbed."

Maria nodded and entered the passageway, for lack of anything else to do. If she hung around in the ladies' area long enough, she would miss the nut-job. It was a long shot, but until she found a phone, it was all she had. She had to keep hold of her own mind, couldn't play into this insane Asgard fantasy world. And if she held out long enough, maybe she could help the other girls. The smaller passage was constructed of darker granite, smooth and grainy.

"Okay, think…" she told herself aloud once more. "Just remember everything you see. Somebody has to have heard of this place – it's gotta be some kind of brothel, right? They'll be able to run lists and stuff, find us all, right?"

She had to keep telling herself those things! If she lost her mind, the rest of these girls didn't have a chance and neither did she! But somehow… this place didn't feel the same as anywhere she had ever been before. And it wasn't bad energy, was it? No… Somehow it felt… all right. Like being out in the woods or something like that. She continued along the path.

At the end of the long, tunnel-like hallway, she found a wicker door. She pushed it open cautiously and found the nicest damn bathroom she had ever seen! The whole place was made of black and white marble. Silver taps graced every sink, each carved into its own whimsical shape. It was like what the Contemporary at Disney World wished it could be! The lavatories were out in the back of what seemed to be a cluster of small birch trees. She could hear women talking in low voices, some of them giggling.

Eira hadn't lied about there being a place with mirrors, places for skin and hair care. The little vanities were arranged almost like cubicles, but much softer and more inviting. The mirrors had half-and-half frames, gold on one side and silver on the other, to balance out the warm and cool light tones. Feeling a little guilty, Maria wished she could grab her makeup kit from back home. She'd go to town with one of these setups! Then it set in, how much it disgusted her – rich men using their dirty money to keep innocent women as sex slaves… Maybe one day this place could be turned into a shelter! Make it useful!

Since she didn't actually have to… use the facilities, Maria felt she shouldn't hang around. Somebody might notice her and she didn't need to get sucked into the world of captive women's head games. So much for mooching about in here until psycho boy lost interest. So she found her wicker door – oddly enough, she didn't even have to look for it – and headed back up the tunnel.

Okay, she decided, there was definitely something very weird about this place, and she meant _weird _in the almost supernatural sense. No building naturally smelled like a forest, and she didn't think it smelled like air freshener. And considering the number of wicker doors in the boudoir area… Yeah, it was not natural that she would be able to find hers without looking on the first try.

She wound up back in her bedchamber... Wait… When had she started thinking of it as _her _anything! And why did it feel _right _to think of that room – that carpeted prison, as belonging to her? Pacing wasn't helping her calm down. It only kept ramping up her intensity level. No… wait. They wanted that! By getting her trapped in her own head, she would exhaust herself.

Calm down… She had to calm down! Maria… please… calm down, she begged herself. The bed – she could just sit down, square her thoughts, and just rest for a second or two. Getting herself tired out in a fit over nothing couldn't help her. Hell, so far, aside from the bath, no one had even touched her. She hadn't seen the creepy old guy again. Could she even be sure that there were any men here?

Her mind kept working. Theories turned over and over in her head. Should she stay awake? But depriving herself of sleep wouldn't help. She had to help the other women here… Nobody deserved this… nobody… Maria didn't notice herself falling asleep.

* * *

How long had she been asleep for? There had to have been drugs involved this time – if not last time – she told herself. Her mind felt hazy. Maria? That was still her name, right? Yes. She still knew who she was. The last time she had felt like this, she was returning from a breath-play scene. Everything had felt, looked… even smelled soft. Like the entire world had changed to a pastel color scale.

"Shit…" she cursed under her breath.

She checked herself. Yes, she still had all her clothes on – well, the dress that the three girls had put on her. It felt super-comfortable to sleep in, and she still couldn't tell if it was linen or cotton, so soft and light. Why did she keep thinking of everything so… sensuously? How things looked and felt… Why was it all beautiful in this place she should find repulsive?

Her entire body froze at the first sound she heard. The door – someone was at the door, and it didn't sound like the handmaidens. They had kept their voices down. This person wasn't speaking at all. She scrunched down as far under all the blankets as she could get. Maybe the bed would look slept-in and empty and they would go looking for her…

With one eye, she peeked out from under the blankets as gold light spilled into the room, the door opening slowly. Wait, did it just open of its own accord? And a second later, a man stepped into the room. It was all Maria could do not to yell "_damn!_" at his approach.

He seemed to be made entirely of muscle and shining metal, topped with gleaming gold hair. Was that… scale-mail? Her brother made that stuff and she had never seen armor that stuck to the wearer like that, like a second skin. And this guy had shoulders nearly as wide as the doorway itself! He had to be over six-foot-three… She couldn't see his face. But he seemed to emanate his own soft golden glow.

When he stepped forward into the room, claiming the space as his own with his simple presence, Maria couldn't help gasping. She had seen his face and he was more than handsome! If she believed in godly features, this guy would _so _have them… He had a broad, fresh-scrubbed face with a decent coating of reddish stubble from cheek to cheek. The merest crinkles round his eyes suggested he smiled easily. In fact, his lips already curved in the most confident of smirks. For a twisted, psychopathic sex criminal, this guy was _all _kinds of good-looking! And then she saw his eyes.

If the eyes from her mirror had been the worst things she had ever seen, these were the total opposite. Blue and clear as an open sky, they twinkled in the lights of candles she hadn't noticed. The look in them said "I have power, and I know it." She normally didn't like the alpha-male type, but she could forgive him. A guy with those eyes… and a cape… could get away with a lot.

"Dear maiden, I present myself!" he announced in a deep, rumbling voice.

Fuck! He'd heard her gasp. Maria sat up, pulling the first thing she could grab – the bear pelt, to her chest. She wasn't going to let him get inside her head just because he was built like your average football player! Okay… a little better than that… but still! She knew what he wanted and even if it was inevitable, she wasn't going to just let him have it that easy!

"Okay, let me get this straight," she started shaking her head again. "You're supposed to be Thor."

He nodded regally.

"I am. God of Thunder!" he proclaimed himself. It was almost as if he expected trumpets to sound when he spoke. "And I have come to you, maiden."

Maria stared. This entire situation started to border on the hilarious! A small "_pfft!_" escaped her lips. Her shoulders started to bob up and down, out of her control. Before she knew it, she was rolling about on the bed, laughing until tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Okay, this is the funniest thing that's ever happened to me!" she shrieked between peals of laughter. "This is hysterical! Where's the hidden camera! You got me!"

She looked around, expecting a camera crew or her friends or something to jump out of the closet. That was it! The world's most convoluted and insane practical joke! This guy was just icing on the cake!

However, he didn't seem to think anything about the situation was all that funny. He crossed his muscular arms over his chest and stared at her as though he wondered about her sanity. Maria looked him up and down, this weirdo in a cape claiming to be the God of Thunder. Tears still streamed down her cheeks and her face flushed a deep shade of red. Complete whacko or not, this guy was a hot one! Then she nearly toppled off the bed as laughter overtook her once more.

"Now see here, maiden!" he rumbled insistently. "Have you any idea why you were brought to the palace of Asgard?"

Maria cocked her head and studied him momentarily, trying to serious up a bit.

"Well, so far my options are… a really bizarre human trafficking setup or one hell of a practical joke, probably with cameras involved," she told him, one eyebrow quirked sarcastically. "Or I hit my head at work and I'm having a really psychotic coma-dream."

His brow furrowed as if he didn't quite understand all of her words. Oh hell, it figured this one would be all muscle and no brain. Maria sighed.

"Maiden, there is nothing humorous in my visit!" he told her, his voice rising slightly in volume. Okay, he had a temper. Don't fuck with him anymore, Maria told herself. "You were brought here upon royal decree, because in your great beauty, you would make a fitting concubine… nay, _lover _of the god Thor!"

Maria couldn't help herself – she howled with laughter again.

"Great beauty! Me! That's a good one!" she all but screamed, scrubbing at her eyes with one hand. "I didn't even last three days working at Hooters! No way am I winning any beauty contests! You can call off the joke now. I just want to go home and let my life get back to abnormal."

The temperature in the room seemed to rise by ten degrees and all of a sudden she could feel air currents moving about her. Before her stood a man in gleaming armor, with his cape and hair billowing in a breeze from nowhere. In that moment, Maria knew the time for joking was over. This guy was dangerous. She wasn't sure how he was doing all the conjuring tricks, but the giant hammer at his waist wasn't anything to mess with.

"Okay, sorry," she said. "I'm just kinda freaked right now. If you let me walk out now, I promise I won't say anything to the cops. I'll just forget the whole thing ever happened – I swear. Just let me out of here."

Once again, he looked at her like he hadn't quite understood her. Was his English limited or something? Maria stared at him. He frowned back at her, powerful arms still folded in contemplation. Thankfully, he had seen no need to go for the hammer.

What a strange maiden! The blonde man thought. Surely the handmaidens he had sent for her had explained that now she was all but a princess now! From his understanding, didn't every girl grow up wishing to be a princess? And him! A prince and a god! Should he not be entitled to her favors? Yet she asked to be… let go? It was as if she believed herself to be a captive!

"Maiden, if it has not been sufficiently put to you, allow me to explain," he began, softening his voice as if he expected her to bolt. "You have been brought here under the order of the All-Father as a bride to a prince and god! This is to be an honor for you, dear maiden!"

Maria shook her head. Was this guy a trafficking victim too? Had he hit his head? Was he brainwashed? Or was he just on drugs. She didn't like his mood swings…

"This is sick…" she said softly. "I don't know what kind of a place you're running here, but I want nothing to do with it. Now just let me out of here and I'll find my own way home. You don't have to worry! I won't say anything!"

"But maiden… you are in Asgard!" he told her, as if explaining to someone either deaf or very slow. "Heimdall brought you and your porter across the Rainbow Bridge on command of the All-Father, Odin."

Maria took a deep breath, playing her very last card.

"Prove it," she all but ordered. "If this is really Asgard and you're really the god of thunder or whatever, show me something."

"I did fear it would come to this…" muttered the blonde man. "But if you insist, my dear."

And all of a sudden, the breeze that had fluttered round him before swirled into chaotic gusts. The blankets blew off the bed and scattered themselves in the corners as the tapestries threatened to rip themselves from the walls. The antler-and-bone chandelier shook threateningly. Maria yelled in surprise and pain as the jarred candles sprinkled her with molten wax. She clawed at her hair to get it out – the stuff on her skin could wait.

With a _crack_, lightning split the ceiling, which had blown apart to reveal a black sky with infinite stars. But clouds quickly obscured the beautiful view, crackling with more electric blazes. Finally, the man raised his hammer. Lightning struck it, propelling him into the air as thunder threatened to deafen her. Maria, close to panic, shielded her face from the storm with her arms.

"Okay, okay! Quit it!" she screamed over the chaos. "I believe you! Make it stop!"

Waving his hammer all of once, the man… no… the god called off the storm and landed on the floor with a solid thud. Maria stared at him and he considered her in return. His blue eyes had gone as cold as chips of ice and all of a sudden he looked more than capable of murder. Her eyes went straight to his thick hand, still tight on the handle of the deadly-looking hammer. Then they traveled up his body, slower than she might have liked, to his face.

"_Damn…_" she whispered, this time truly in awe. Her teeth found her lip, chewing on it nervously. Then she swallowed hard and gathered her courage to speak. "You _are _the god of thunder…"

"My maiden is permitted to call me Thor," he countered, the good-natured self-assurance back on his face as fast as it had vanished. "And what are you called, my dear?"

She gaped at him for a second.

"Maria."


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **_**If I have to tell you again that I don't own any copyrighted characters, you're pretty slow – gotta be honest here! But yeah, not mine. Don't sue. And this is when it starts to get smutty. But I'm making you wait for the good part! Hahaha! Yes, I am an evil author.**_

Chapter 3

"If I have frightened you, Maria, it was not my intent," Thor told her, his voice a soft growl. "It is my wish that you enjoy the palace of Asgard."

He had not apologized for frightening her, merely excused himself. Maria still gaped at him, but then her expression turned into a glare. Thor… She almost couldn't wrap her mind around it, sitting here in this place with a legitimate god. Now she had seen it with her own eyes – this was real. A god… from another world. She had been told all her life that the gods of Olympus and Asgard and all those places were just fairy tales.

"I… still can't believe this is all real," she said quietly, studying his boots instead of looking him in the face. "And no, you don't need to prove it again. What the hell are you doing!"

She stared in horror at the knife in his hand. It looked really fucking sharp and she wanted it far the hell away from her _right now_. But he reached out for her hand and, try as she might to struggle away from him, caught her right arm easily. Maria told him "no!" and attempted to yank her arm out of his grip, but she might as well have been trying to pull out of cement.

"I must ask you please to relax!" he roared over her hysterical screaming. He also ducked as she threw her best left hook at his cheek. "Now, really! If you cannot stay still, I shall make you…"

The timbre of his voice made her reconsider smacking him. But before she knew it, she found her back pressed against hard armor and muscle. His left arm fixed tight across her chest, the knife cold and close to her ear. With his right hand, he clenched her wrist. Maria couldn't get words out. Never had she been this close to someone with a weapon who honestly intended to do her harm… She didn't know what to do, couldn't move her arm even an inch.

And then she felt the knife against the skin of her arm. But it didn't cut her. He didn't harm her at all. Carefully, as delicately as he possibly could, he used the edge of the knife to peel the candle wax off her skin. Maria's eyes widened. He wasn't trying to hurt her… With tears once more pouring down her cheeks, she relaxed fully against his chest, nearly hyperventilating. There were spots of wax all over her arms. Then she became aware of the large splatter of wax on her left cheek…

"My dear," he said, this time right in her ear, shifting her very carefully against his body. "I will need you to stay perfectly still."

Maria whimpered, panting hard and unable to recover her facilities at the moment – the god looked down at her in what looked like concern.

"I shall need you to trust me," he whispered, the sound leading her to close her eyes. "Tell me, maiden, that you trust me."

She could only give him a jerky nod. His hand, the largest hand she had ever seen or felt, cradled her chin. Her jaw clenched until he all but commanded her to relax. She couldn't open her eyes as she felt his right arm move, knowing what he had in his hand. Then she felt it, and she almost couldn't keep from gasping in shock. Slowly, as though touching something made of porcelain, he scraped the wax from her face.

"There," he declared, tucking the weapon back into some unknown place on his person. "You should see no sign it was ever there."

Maria couldn't help it. She broke down in hysterics – her spine would no longer support her weight and she crumpled onto the bed. Thor looked down at her, he felt something odd for him, wrong-footed almost! No woman had ever reacted like this to him before. Tilting his head, he reached out one hand and touched her long hair. It spilled over her back like a blanket. She winced when he touched her.

"Do not cry, my dear," he told her softly, sliding one arm under her small body and pulling her close again, this time without force. "No harm will come to you in the palace of Asgard. You are under my personal protection."

Those hazel-green eyes, the first thing he had noticed about her, looked red and puffy, but they blazed at him like his own lightning. She bared her teeth at him and growled like an animal. In case she tried to swing at him again, he held her tightly to him.

"You… What the hell is wrong with you!" she gasped at him, one hand pressed to her cheek as if he had hit her. "You walk in, announce you're the god of fucking thunder and then pull a goddamn knife!"

"It matters not!" he told her decisively. "The point is that you are safe now."

She glared at him again, with a look in her eyes that she had been told could freeze gasoline.

"All right, perhaps I could have proceeded differently," he conceded, keeping both her hands captive in one of his. The look on her face told him she was seriously considering an attempt to knock his lights out. A laughable idea to be sure, but not one he wished to test. "Permit me to approach again? I am sure I can do better…"

His voice did that thing where it dropped low into his chest again. It was as if he had known forever that doing that would get under her skin in an instant! Maria couldn't help herself – her defenses dropped just a touch. And in that moment, Thor saw his opportunity. With his free hand, he captured her chin once more, feeling her entire body freeze again. Her eyes gazed half-adoringly, half-suspiciously into his.

"Close your eyes," he commanded, his voice once again a soft rumble from deep in his chest. He watched her lashes flutter shut, the spark never leaving her still-somewhat-puffy eyes. "Let me…"

As his lips touched hers, so lightly at first then firming up as his confidence got the better of him, she was ready – for a moment at least – to let him do anything. Okay, she conceded mentally – this guy had to be a god. She'd never met a mortal man who could kiss like that! The hand he had under her chin migrated to the back of her head, threading into her hair. Maria let out a low moan into the kiss as Thor's fingers tightened, gently however, close to her scalp.

"Ah," he sighed against her lips, pulling back for a breath. "So very soft…"

When he pressed more firmly to her, she nipped his lower lip in excitement. Without warning, he growled and lunged forward, pinning her under him, those blue eyes now hot as white fire, staring down into her own hazel-green. Her hands, freed by his sudden movement, pressed up against his chest. Both of them panted, seemingly surprised. She smiled up at him, an adorably lopsided expression of attempted apology.

"Sorry," she said, trying her damnedest to sound sincere. "I got a little into it…"

His own lips twitched into a wider smirk than before.

"Not at all, my dear," he growled back.

And he waited not a second before pushing down on her, his lips on hers and his tongue thrusting between them. Maria tasted honey, ale, and smoky sweetness, letting her own tongue slide forward to tangle with his. No way was she going to let him get away with that so easily… His hand continued to twist in her hair, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her slip her hand up his back. Perhaps she could get away with that too! Her long fingernails raked his scalp and his powerful shoulders writhed beneath the arm she had wrapped around him.

The kiss lasted moments longer, his knee attempting to push in between her thighs. But as soon as she felt it, she clamped her legs shut. When he glared in consternation, she merely smirked up at him. That wench, he thought! How in the world did she mimic _his_ expression so well! That confidence, bordering on arrogance… somehow, she wore it well. But he wasn't telling her that. Bracing on one arm for a second, he found her wrist and pinned it beside her. For a moment, they stared at each other, an almost-welcome standstill.

"You have spirit, maiden," he informed her – as if she didn't fucking know that already! She snorted derisively. "I… enjoy the sort of spirit you possess. Now what else can you do with it?"

Maria's eyes blazed again.

"I can bite harder?" she offered, the arrogant smirk showing teeth now. "But I think you have to do something for me first."

Thor raised an eyebrow at her.

"You, asking the god Thor for favors?" he bristled lightly. "I should tread lightly if I were you."

She rolled her eyes.

"I could just _tell _you to lose the shirt, you know," she snapped, squirming quite vigorously under him in an attempt to free her hand. "The whole second-skin armor thing is cool and all, but I want to see what I'm getting into here."

In the back of her mind, she simply thought _why the hell not? _If this was real, and she still wasn't altogether sure about that, she may as well enjoy it. She reached up and gave his red cape an impetuous tug. His eyes flashed at her, a warning, but she had never been terribly good at taking warnings. With her one free hand, she tucked her fingers securely into the neckline of his armor. When it proved impossible to pull him down to her, she pulled herself up to him.

"I said… tread carefully, maiden," he growled, his voice heavy with lust instead of threat. "You will be in over your head very soon."

Instead of taking him at his word, Maria licked her lips – slowly, so he could see, and leaned in to nibble gently on his lower lip once more. Thor's eyes widened, but he wouldn't let her know she had one up on him. There was an almighty _clank _when his armor went flying across the room. His shirt followed. Maria let out an audible "_damn!_" as she studied him from the waist up. Then she blushed as she realized his knees straddled her hips.

"Something tells me you quite enjoy being in over your head," he leaned down beside her to purr in her ear. She squirmed and panted in response. "But you forget, maiden, I am a god."

The knife was back in his hand. Though she looked worried at first, Maria just glared at him. Thor smiled at her defiance and traced the neck line of her gown. His lips curved in that same self-assured smirk. He moved down, pressing on her body with his own. She panted a bit harder. Dreaming or not, he felt so very _solid _against her. His lips followed the path the tip of the blade had taken.

"It seems a pity to destroy something so fine," he murmured against her skin, leaving his meaning just ambiguous enough to give her the thrill of fear. "So I'll get this out of the way, shall I?"

Maria hadn't noticed before that the delicate pearls forming a line down the front of her lavender gown were, in fact, buttons. And she had no idea how little patience she actually possessed. Was he really going to take the time to painstakingly undo every last one? He wasn't going to rip even one? Normally, she'd be loath to so much as wrinkling a dress like this, but right now… Her brain wasn't really in clothing preservation mode.

"This is taking so long…" she whined at him, her hips rolling up towards his. "Get me out of this thing!"

Thor looked down at her, smiling in the most obnoxious fashion imaginable. And he did the last button his hand touched back up. Maria's eyes widened. Oh fuck! He was going to _mess _with her!

"You are an impatient one, aren't you?" he teased, plucking at that one button with his long fingers. "Well, I have a deal for you – for every impatient word you say, I shall fix one of them back. I think this ensures you will behave for me?"

A growl rumbled up out of Maria's throat and Thor plucked mischievously at the next undone button.

"Okay, fine, I'll behave," she conceded with a pout before tacking on, "… for a while."

"A while will suffice," Thor assured her, kissing the exposed skin between her breasts. "Until I lose my patience…"

Maria squirmed again, biting back an impatient remark.

"I knew you would learn," said the teasing voice again. He undid two more buttons, baring the skin at the end of her rib cage. She growled at him for leaving her breasts covered. "Or do I have to teach you again? Because if I must repeat myself, I will not be as gentle – this I promise."

She giggled in spite of herself, both frightened of and very interested in what he might have in mind, should she choose to push the envelope. Thor continued, slowing his pace when he parted the fabric away from her stomach. Maria blushed and did her best to suck in without him noticing. Hadn't she just told herself to start doing crunches again! But he didn't seem to notice the same imperfections she did.

"I would wager that you could hold your own against a Valkyrie in bed," Thor whispered against her skin, mere inches from…

"_Oh!_" Maria wailed as his tongue found the hollow of her right hip. "Fuck! That feels good!"

She lifted her head to find Thor grinning at her, so her eyes fluttered closed once more and she relaxed into the pile of pillows at the head of the bed.

"And you swear when taken in joy…" he observed, running his fingers over the curves of her hips and smiling as she writhed beneath him. "I knew I did enjoy your type of spirit."

And he leaned in again, his scrubby beard scratchy against her skin as he laid feather-light kisses from one hip to the other. His tongue followed the path his lips had taken, back from her left hip to her right. Maria moaned aloud and lifted her hips, begging him with her body to go a bit lower. But he hadn't even undone those buttons yet! Hell, the sides of her gown, being so flowing, still covered her breasts!

"Please…" she finally hissed between clenched teeth. "Faster…".

Thor laughed – a quiet rumble that vibrated against her skin.

"I did tell you I would teach you some patience," he reminded her, delivering a quick bite to the soft skin above her left hip. "Now I believe that ought to be two buttons…"

So he re-did two buttons. Maria groaned in frustration and arched her back off the bed, only to hear him laugh softly at her again. His hands held her still as he undid those same two buttons, plus one more, with his teeth. How the hell he did that without damaging the gown was totally beyond her, and she didn't care! She could feel the strength simply radiating out from his hands. From his earlier display, she knew he could hurt her very easily…

"Close your eyes," he instructed. For once, she did so without a fuss. "Keep them closed until I tell you otherwise."

For some reason, doing what he said this time seemed thrilling. Maybe it was the newness – she didn't exactly have a reputation for doing what anyone said. From the second she closed her eyes and she settled into a darkened world, she could _feel _everything so much more. His hands traced the bare skin between her breasts again. She wanted to open her eyes just to watch what he might do. But he distracted her once more… He laid a kiss on her left breast, through the fabric of her gown.

"_Mmm…_" A soft moan passed her parted lips. And the next word out of her escaped before she could stop herself. "Please… _please don't stop…_"

The touches of his hands and the caress of his breath on her skin stopped and his solid weight lifted off her. For a moment, she wondered if he had lost interest in just playing with her. She whimpered as she felt him get off the bed entirely, and shrank back into the pillows. But then she got curious as she heard shuffling off to the side somewhere. A smile lit on her lips, considering she could guess what was going on, but she managed to resist the temptation to peek. Then his weight returned to the space beside her on the bed.

"I can hardly deny your request when you put it that way," that deep, rumbling voice caressed her ear again. His hand cupped her left breast gently. "Particularly when I have never met even a goddess with breasts to match yours…"

Maria moaned in response, and the strong, warm hand left her breast only long enough to lift away the side of her gown and lay it to the side. His soft lips enveloped the rosy tip, hardened from the chill air in the room, sucking gently. A wavering cry tumbled out before she could bite down on her lip. Thor let out a laugh against her skin, sending a shiver rippling through her entire body. Then he sucked harder, even letting his teeth graze her sensitive skin. At that, she cried out in surprised pleasure.

"Thor… oh fuck! Please… feels _so _good," she panted, writhing uncontrollably without the weight of his body to hold her down. "Nngh… Don't stop… Please keep going!"

The god lifted his head from her breast and kissed his way back down her body. Even with her eyes shut, Maria became bolder. Her hand followed his path and she threaded her fingers into his hair. Once again, her nails caressed his scalp, sending tingles down his spine. He let out a growl between her legs, fumbling his way through the rest of the buttons and laying the sides of the gown out. Then she found him above her again. However, this time, he carefully held himself off her, letting her explore with her hands.

"Your skin is soft…" she whispered, almost reverently, tracing the muscles of his shoulders and upper back with her fingertips. "I'm almost jealous."

Thor looked down, barely noticing what she said as he watched her, lying naked on her open gown. Beautiful, he thought – never had he beheld a woman with a body like hers. Shorter indeed than a Valkyrie and much lighter-boned than Asgard women, he noticed first. Hmm, even the women considered beautiful in Midgard were much different from her. She had long legs, thick with muscle and turned pleasingly wide at the hips.

Long, silky hair fanned out about her, a lovely shade that combined brown and red. He looked up and down her body, his eyes following the highlights in that hair. Her waist looked tiny compared with the rest of her and he made a mental note that he could probably put his hands the whole way round it. Her breasts, for such a small frame, were large and full. They fit perfectly in his hands.

"Maria, in truth you are beautiful," he whispered to her, shivering as her hands – fingernails specifically – raked down the length of his back. They veered off and wrapped around his hips and the young woman gasped. Thor smiled, this time genuinely, without a trace of his usual smirk. "Do me the honor of opening your eyes…"

The world looked soft and pastel-toned again as Maria's hazel-green eyes fluttered open. First thing, she saw Thor's gleaming blue eyes and didn't have to see the rest of his face to know he was smiling at her. But her eyes traveled downwards anyway and she blushed deeply at his very _real _smile. She peeked further down, and her eyes widened before returning quickly to his face. Her cheeks darkened by four shades at least. The smirk returned as he realized what she had done.

"Tell me, my dear," he leaned down to purr in her ear, his bare chest pressing against hers and causing her heart to race. "Do you like what you see?"

She couldn't answer beyond a tiny, embarrassed squeak. His arms pulled her close and he laid the both of them out, side by side. Her body fit perfectly, almost magically, against his. She couldn't do much but pant shallowly at the sudden fell of skin on skin, so very warm.

"Then tell me this…" he breathed into her ear. "Do you like what you _feel_?"


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **_**Thor, Marvel, the Avengers? Yeah, you name it, it is not mine. So don't sue me cos you're not getting jack. This chapter IS smutty. So if you are under the legal age to view smut in your area, I legally have to tell you to go away.**_

Chapter 4

Maria writhed against the god, closing her eyes and hiding her face in the curve of his neck. No cologne could ever make a mortal man smell like this… A combination of incense, wood smoke, and something she could never name… Thor's hands ran up and down the bare skin of her back, pressing her flush against his body. Taking a deep breath in, she let out a long sigh that sounded like _"yes." _

"And I as well," he told her, kissing her cheek with such tenderness that it honestly surprised her. Then his voice dropped into his chest again and his arms gripped her like a vise. "But I have lost my patience and I wish to have you now…"

She twitched between her legs. Not good… Oh shit!

"No!" she sputtered quickly. His eyes flared at her. "Please… please, I'm not ready…"

His brow furrowed.

"You are a virgin?" he queried, his expression one of concern.

Her face darkened and she turned her face away, shaking her head in shame.

"No…" she said in a voice so low he could barely hear her. "I'm just… not ready. You know what I mean?"

She couldn't look him in the eye, but he did not give her a choice. One strong hand cupped her cheek and tilted her face up to his. His expression was not one of judgment, more understanding in his eyes.

"It matters not," he decided. Then he smiled at her, his hand sliding from her cheek down the side of her throat. Reflexively, she tilted her head back. The hand slipped over her shoulder, then traced her front before finding her hip. His tongue ghosted over the shell of her ear. "And I _do _know what you mean. It is my full intention to remedy that…"

His hand slid from hip across her front, brushing the backs of his fingers against her smoothest skin. All of a sudden, Maria didn't feel so bad about spending the lion's share of Monday's tips on a Brazilian… From the look on the god's face, he certainly didn't mind. In fact, he looked a touch surprised! Perhaps he had never encountered such a thing before! Yeah, they seemed pretty old-world up here. Privately, Maria entered a great big plus-sign in her mental ledger.

"Like silk," Thor's softest voice caressed her ear, causing her to half-close her eyes like a happy cat. "This is a perfect feeling, dear."

Her hips moved automatically against his hand, yet she did not part her legs so easily. His other hand cradled her cheek and his lips pressed once more to hers. Shyly, much more so than she had before, she touched her tongue to his and let him lead her. Hips pressed tightly against each other, trapping his hand momentarily between their bodies. The next moment, his fingers had found their way between her legs. She bit down on her lip to stifle the sounds she wanted to make. He pulled back to smile at her.

"Tell me…" he commanded quietly, eyes intensifying on her. "Talk to me."

His fingers fluttered against her and Maria gasped. How could someone who could probably wreck the world with that hammer touch her like this! Utter nonsense tumbled from her lips. How could he ask her to tell him anything when he wreaked such havoc on her good senses? What did he want to hear? She let out a soft cry as one finger, warm and pleasantly rough, found its way into her.

"Oh fuck…" she gasped, feeling how tight she was inside. "Nngh… It's been a while…"

Her teeth found her lower lip and clenched it out of nervous habit.

"There is no need for shame," he whispered, sliding his finger out of her just enough to add a second one. Maria bit down hard on her lip to silence her scream. "Hush… you are under the protection of a god."

Oddly enough, this did comfort her and she relaxed into his touch. Soon, his fingers found the place inside of her that made her body go very still. Touching there once, then twice more had her shaking uncontrollably in his arms. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, fingernails in his skin. Panting hard, she tried to pull herself closer to him, hiding her face once more. As he continued working his fingers inside her, her teeth lost their hold on her lip. Cries and moans muffled themselves in his muscles. A particularly effective touch had her biting down hard, this time on the place where his neck and shoulder met. Thor growled at the sharp pain – even a god could feel _that_.

"That's it," he hissed in her ear, working his fingers one more good time against that place in her. "Show me how it feels, if in truth you cannot _tell _me…"

And he would not let up from that point. Every movement of his hand brought his fingers so intensely against that place inside her that he felt tears on his skin. Pressing a kiss to her temple, he let her orgasm run its course. Her body tightened around his fingers to the point that he legitimately could not move them. Finally, she lay limp in his arms. He couldn't help smiling in a peculiar way at the blood staining her lips, smiling and barely parted. It wasn't hers. Tenderly, he wiped her lips with the pad of his thumb.

"Now that is something I have not witnessed in too long a time," crooned Thor in a voice fit for finest silk. "Seeing a woman's body writhe with such intensity is indeed an honor even to a god."

Maria cracked one eye open and smiled lopsidedly at him – that had been quite the experience for her!

"Some people…" she began hoarsely, taking a short, gasping breath. "… might consider it something like praying."

And Thor laughed out loud at that one. Maria grinned at him in genuine enjoyment. The sound of this man… this god, laughing, was a contagion like no other! His arms encircled her in the gentlest way possible and his forehead came to rest against hers. For once, in the arms of a god, she felt safe. Go figure – she was here against her will and doing things she never would normally do. And she felt safer than she ever had before.

"You are extraordinary for a mortal woman," he praised her, stroking her hip. Maria wrinkled her nose when he kissed the tip of it, causing him to chuckle heartily. "Yes, quite extraordinary."

Smiling like a blushing schoolgirl, Maria looked up at him again. Where would he want to go next with this? But she didn't have to ask as he kissed her lips once more, and then started down the side of her throat. He paused for a moment at her throbbing pulse point, kissing and sucking, even biting. Her already-jangling nerves seemed to shimmer beneath her skin. She felt like Thor's innate electricity somehow danced inside her.

"Mmm…" she hummed lazily as he worked his mouth where her neck and shoulder met. Just when she had relaxed entirely, he bit her once there – hard. She yelped. "Ow!"

Thor grinned at her, the expression infectious.

"A god exacts his vengeance in one way or another," he teased, purposefully making his voice rumble at her. "I did tell you to tread lightly, did I not?"

Maria smiled back, a grin in which she bared her teeth at him, still slightly tinged with his blood – she could still taste the metallic tang. Thor, on the other hand, surprised her once again. She yelped as he was suddenly on top of her, one thick hand almost closed around her throat. Her eyes widened as far as they would go – what had she done to set this off! Just minutes ago, she had felt as safe as she ever had. Now she lay terrified beneath a murderous god.

However, as she panted under him, she felt her blood sing with a new kind of arousal. The queerest sensation overcame her, as though anything he might do to her now would probably feel insanely good. She could feel him, hard between her thighs and pressing intimately almost into her. His hand tightened on her throat. She felt his fingers meet in the back, under her hair. Her vision started to swim with the stilted breaths he allowed her.

"You have not yet come face-to-face with a vengeful god, have you?" he threatened, those eyes again icy. She shook her head as best she could, tears welling up in her cloudy eyes. "Shall I show you, then?"

Maria tried to scream, to claw at his hands, to push him away. She bared her teeth and her eyes flashed at him in earnest. There was a flash of white and she got one hand free. Lightning crackled around both of them. His hand tightened as she found his face. As her throat closed, she flicked her hand and four sharp fingernails slashed the length of his cheek. Then her hands felt numb and her arms went limp. Her vision blacked out before she could even close her eyes.

* * *

"… Maria?" Thor's voice, soft and tender once more, filtered into her ears and she remembered how it felt the very first time she'd done that. Her whole body tingled as oxygen returned to her blood. Her hands still lacked the majority of feeling and she wasn't aware of having a spine. The voice again… "Maria, I did not harm you, did I?"

Maria opened her eyes to find that all was well – a familiar feeling.

"I do promise, I meant not to cause you harm," he assured her, stroking her hair and guiding her head to rest on his shoulder. "I meant only to gauge your reaction… And you have proven yourself to have a fighting spirit!"

Gasping for breath still, she smiled brilliantly. Shifting her body, she felt wetness between her legs that she knew had not come from him. Somehow, she knew that he had not wronged her whilst she lay incapacitated. Slowly, she raised a hand to touch the scratches on his cheek. They no longer bled – a god healed quickly, she supposed. Instead of being angry, he smiled at her, as though he could not have preferred any other reaction!

"I'm ready…" she rasped out, her chest still tight.

This time, he smiled almost indulgently.

"Oh no, my dear," he corrected, brushing a tear from her right cheek before kissing one from her left. "You have earned a reward of honor for managing to wound a god in struggle. Not many mortals have managed such."

Maria smiled, rather proud of herself all in all! Then she tilted her head. What did he have in mind? Her eyes fell half-closed again. They closed all the way when his lips found hers. This time he bypassed her neck and shoulders, kissing down between her breasts, honoring those with his hands. His lips trailed over her stomach in random patterns. Sometimes he re-traced a pattern with his tongue. She knew where he was going with this now… Her eyes rolled back in her head as he kissed each hip then her softest skin, then his tongue followed.

She panted, her hands fisting in the blankets around her as he kissed lower. His hands traced the insides of her thighs, guiding her legs apart easily. He met with some natural resistance, but his tongue relaxed her. Before she could even beg, or ask him for anything, he did even better. His tongue slid up the expanse of her softest skin, tasting her in ways she never thought possible! She reached down, tangling her hands in his hair as her hips shifted out of her control. Whether to pull him closer or push him away because she couldn't take it… She couldn't tell for a second.

"Exquisite…" he breathed against her wet skin, his voice deeper than she expected.

So close… She was so close, and all she could do was moan, keening louder and louder at the ways his tongue touched her! Her head tossed back and forth on the pillows, hair tangling around her. One moment, her teeth clenched, while the next, she couldn't seem to shut her mouth… Then his tongue slid inside her, just the way his fingers had. She bit down on her lip roughly. Her own blood mixed with the taste of his from earlier.

"Don't stop…" she begged, panting heavily. "Don't stop… Please don't stop…"

And he wouldn't. As quickly as it went in, his tongue slipped out of her and traced lightning-quick patterns on her skin. She couldn't begin to tell what he was doing anymore. It was intense. Her hands clenched again in his hair. If she hurt him… if she even _could_, he gave no indication. He didn't stop… wouldn't stop until she screamed for him. But not yet… He lifted his head from between her legs and she let out a distressed cry at his cessation. Her hands all of a sudden fell limp by her sides.

"Please… _please_!" she moaned to him, practically crying in heated frustration. "I _need _it!"

Thor rose to his knees though, and her eyes widened in pure awe. Maria's mouth dropped open and she attempted to scramble and right herself. Graciously, he offered her his hand and helped her sit up. At first, she could only blush and look off to the right at nothing. She didn't want to stare, wasn't sure how he would react… Then she looked to his face.

He considered her carefully, for once indecisive on how to proceed. Reading her body, though, he quickly figured that she would come to him. Indeed, he was right. She turned her face away for another moment, but then their eyes met. He stretched his hand out to her and she took it, so he guided her in. Then she couldn't help but surprise him.

"_AH!_" he roared when she fawned low and took his tip in her mouth. His eyes went wide and it took every ounce of his control not to thrust forward. He had promised not to cause her harm and meant it. "All heavens cannot bring a sensation like this…"

But he quickly lost track of conscious thought. Her mouth worked on his tip like nothing he had ever felt before. In truth, her tongue was nearly as quick as his own, even causing his eyes to roll back for a moment. Then those ice-chip eyes shot wide open as she took a good half his length into her mouth at once. He felt himself push into her throat.

Looking down at her, he saw a woman in total bliss. Her hands cradled his hips as tenderly as he had done to her, with only the bite of her nails to off-set. Long eyelashes grazed her cheeks, her eyes closed in ecstasy. He could tell her eyes rolled back whenever she took him into her throat. Gasping and struggling to keep his knees solid under him, he carefully palmed the back of her head. Instead of pulling back, she moaned deeply, sending electric vibrations dancing into his length and throughout his whole body.

Being a god, he had the stamina to last for whole nights and be ready for more. This girl though… this mortal woman… definitely stood to teach him a few things he did not know about his own body. And it seemed that she could go for quite a while too! His eyes widened to their limit as he watched her take his full length, an inch at a time, into her mouth. His tip pushed past her throat and she started swallowing automatically. If he didn't have other ideal outcomes for this night, he would _not _mind spilling a load or two down her throat… He hoped he had the presence of mind to remember that one later.

She pulled back and he was surprised to see that she looked slightly crestfallen.

"Does something trouble you, my dear?" he asked.

Her teeth clacked together again – she tended to do that out of nerves, he noticed, and she tilted her head at him.

"Do you like what I do?" she asked, sounding as if she expected a harsh reprimand of some kind. Had someone been cruel to her in a similar situation? "I can stop if you don't like it…"

Gently, he stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Her eyes had watered quite a bit at having him down her throat for so long. His gaze softened and he pulled upright, still on her knees. With the difference in their heights, the top of her head barely reached his collar bone, but he held her to his chest.

"Nothing you have done tonight has displeased me," he assured her, letting her feel his deep voice from his body to hers. "Know that and be proud that you can please a god!"

Maria smiled up at him and descended once more. This time, however, she paid the same attention to his body that he had done to hers. Her hands traced his chest, so much softer than his own. And when her lips followed her hands, he then understood why she had moaned and cried out under his touch. True, Thor had the composure of a god… But when her hand came to rest, certainly by accident, over his heart, he covered it with his own. Their eyes met for only a moment, but he saw something in her eyes. A combination of light and tears that he could not place…

And she brushed the contact away to continue her path downwards. Lips and hands ghosted over his abdominal muscles. Maria's fingernails raised red patterns on his skin. Questioning eyes asked him for the go-ahead to continue, even to scratch a little harder. Interested in what she might do, he nodded. Those nails scraped across his skin. In a normal man, that swipe might have broken skin, but on Thor, they merely burned pleasingly. Her tongue followed the red marks, sending shivers up his spine. She moved to go lower, but he cupped her chin in his palm and stopped her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, a touch of genuine fear creeping into her voice. Thor felt a sudden surge of rage towards whoever had put this uncertainty into her. "Am I doing it right?"

He leveled her with his most princely stare, mentally cursing himself as this caused her to quail visibly.

"My dear, I have bedded Valkyries and goddesses with only half the skill you possess in your lips and fingers," he told her without a touch of irony. "And may I cease to lift my hammer if a word of this is untrue!"

She smiled as if he had given her some rare compliment. It puzzled him how a mortal woman like her could be the same person in one body. She could tear the skin of his face and stare defiantly into his eyes with his hand on her throat. But when she tried to please him, to be gentle, all of a sudden she became this frightened, vulnerable creature. Did all mortal women have this duality about them?

Her chin still rested in his hand. For a moment, he thought on this. Her eyes, her body, her posture, all told him that she trusted him. He was the god of thunder – a creature like her could break so easily in his powerful hands. His hands were meant to wield a thunderous hammer… But this woman gave herself fully into his hands.

Thor tilted Maria's face to his, guiding her upright once more. Before she could question, his arms were around her. He slid one arm down to lever under her knees. The other supported her shoulders. She felt as light as a feather pillow in his arms, so very small for being so strong. This tiny mortal woman wounded a god like it was nothing, twice if he counted the bite on his neck. Yet now she shook in his arms like a frightened animal. Holding her to his chest seemed to relax her, reassuring her that she had done nothing wrong. Had she expected him to turn on her?

"The time for games is over, my dear," he said firmly. Her face lay hidden by long tangles of auburn hair. "You have rightfully earned a place as lover of the god Thor. And tonight, I shall claim you as mine."

These commanding words seemed to wrap around her and she let her full weight, even then not much, rest against his body. It was as if she had given herself to him already. Tiny and naked, she looked so fragile in his arms.

"If I must be slow at first, I shall," he whispered.

She stared hollowly up at him.

"Thank you."


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **_**It's still not mine. Well… THIS particular story is. And it took less than two-thirds of a page before it got smutty. Don't sue me and take away my smut! I neeeeeed my smut!**_

Chapter 5

Thor shifted to lay them both down on the bed, with Maria still nestled against his chest. She loved the feel of his skin against her cheek, so soft with intensely firm muscles underneath. He eased her back into the blankets, allowing his hands once more to slowly trace the curves of her body. Gently, he tucked an unruly wave of hair behind her ear, pressing a finger to her lips before she could speak. Those hazel-green eyes watched him carefully. Her chest rose and fell with each measured breath.

"You have nothing to fear," his voice wove into her ears, seducing her all over again. "Lie back."

She closed her eyes, letting her head fall back to rest on the pillow. For the first time that night, her arms came up to cover her chest. Modesty came to her at the oddest times, they both thought. Smiling, Thor took hold of both her wrists and guided them down to her sides. He held her gaze as he slowly moved his body over hers.

"And you have nothing to hide," he told her, leaning down to kiss the corner of her lips, feeling her smile in response. "I do swear I shall be gentle."

His length touched her. At first, Maria's legs seemed to close of their own accord, but his knee nudged them apart. Bracing against the bed on one arm, Thor pushed his lower body against hers. This time, his length swept along her slit. She bit her lip, closing her eyes and anticipating a world of pain – he was not small in any way.

Maria felt broken inside. For as gentle as he had been so far… for the most part… this was why she had been brought here. As a sex toy… She wondered what would happen to her after he finished with her.

He eased his hips forward, his tip pushing against her entrance. The original smirk passed his lips again – he had done a fine job of readying her! Her body tensed as he pushed inside her for the first time. If she hadn't said something earlier, he would have easily mistaken her for a virgin! Tight, wet, and so hot around his tip, her body seemed to be fighting with him. Physically, he knew she wanted him, but the look on her face told him of her conflict.

"It is not often I repeat myself," his voice lowered dangerously and he held her gaze captive in the intensity of his eyes. "But I have told you in faith… there is nothing you need fear."

She opened her mouth to ask him the one question she dreaded the answer to the very most. Sound had not even escaped her before his lips descended on hers and half his length entered her. Though shocked, but not altogether unpleasantly so, Maria's body bucked underneath him… Her hips rolled up to meet his as he thrust a few more times into her, apparently to make his point. Indeed, all trace of fear left her.

"Fuck!" she groaned, reaching up to wrap her arms around him. "Oh my… oh fuck… oh _fuck!_"

Thor grinned – for some reason, he found her habit of swearing when something felt good terribly endearing. He moved his free hand down and guided her to hook one knee around his hips. A string of cursing tumbled from her lips at the change of angle and he thrust heartily into her. To his delight, she started thrusting against him, meeting his motions. His hand came to her hip, holding her tight and loving the look on her face.

Maria seemed to be a combination of elated and terrified. Obviously, she had never made love to a god before! Her hands clawed hard down his back, the scratches burning and spurring him on. If he thought correctly, her nerves were still on edge. He wondered… if he gave it even _half_ the normal amount of effort, how long it would take her to come again!

"Oh man… oh… shit… goddamn, that's good!" she gasped as he quickened his pace just a bit. Her hands clenched on his back, nearly puncturing his skin with her nails. He lifted her hips off the bed and her eyes widened. "I love that!"

And she devolved into swearing again as he shifted back onto his knees, his hands keeping her legs wrapped around him. His length pushed all the way inside her and he pulled back just to thrust into her again – _hard_. If she hadn't been so wound up from rounds one and two, that would have fucking hurt! An idea occurred to her – she should try it, just to see if she could…

Her hands had dragged all the way down his back to his hips when he had changed positions. She had no means of holding on that way, so she clenched her legs around him and forced herself into the most intense sit-up ever. Both their eyes widened in surprise. All of a sudden, Maria could feel his thrusts all the way in her stomach. Thor's eyes rolled back in his head as her body tightened around him again and again. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her head dropped forward against his chest.

She found herself rapidly losing control. Her body felt hot inside and out. Had she a better grip on her faculties, she would have been embarrassed. Thor had not even broken a sweat, save for a few beads on his forehead. One of his hands remained under her rear, but the other wrapped tightly around her. Neither of them could think very clearly at the moment. For Maria, this was something new… And for once, she did not find the lack of control threatening.

Thor, while only putting forth half his effort, found her total abandonment of reason and modesty contagious. His muscled shoulders tensed, tightening his already vise-like grip on her. He could feel her ribs pushing back against his arm as she fought for her breath. Once more, her fingernails dragged across his skin, this time for sure breaking skin. Finally, he had started to sweat.

"No goddess or mortal has tested me so quickly," he growled, nipping lightly at her ear. "You should be proud!"

Maria tossed her hair back, tangles and curls spilling over her shoulders and hanging to her hips. With that, she exposed her neck to a lustful god. His arm changed position, snarling his hand in her hair to keep her head back. He couldn't resist biting her again, over the mark he had left before. Maria let out a hoarse combination of a roar and a shriek. Thor had never heard any woman –mortal or otherwise – produce that sound before.

His grin turned decidedly fiendish. The hand wrapped in her hair gave a not-so-light tug. Maria thrust her hips hard against his in response, growling at him like a she-wolf. Her hands twisted into his blonde hair and she used that position to press her lips to his in a bruising kiss, still riding him like there was no tomorrow. Thor rather enjoyed that the spark she had shown at first had made a delightful reappearance. Scratches crisscrossed his back, some of them bleeding, burning from the sweat dripping down his shoulders.

Light electric jolts seemed to pass through both of them as they met each other thrust for thrust. Thor doubled over forward, changing the angle but overbalancing. Maria's eyes went wide and she yelped in brief surprise, holding tight to his shoulders. The two of them fell to the bed, laughed together as they bounced once, and he pushed hard into her again. Maria enjoyed the very solid weight of his body pressing down on her. It made her feel safe once more, as though even… oh hell… Ragnarok itself couldn't touch her now.

Maria's body started to tighten up inside and her hands clenched on his back, driving both sets of fingernails _into _his skin. It made Thor smile… he knew she was close to a climax of a monumental nature! Blood welled up around her fingernails, beading on his skin. He felt her innermost muscles ripple against his length. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with her short, deep, panting breaths, and her lips lay kiss-swollen and parted. He leaned in close, kissing a path along the line of her jaw.

"That's it…" he cooed, holding her tightly to him. "You are so close…"

He sped up his thrusts, nowhere near close to coming himself, but ready to see how she reacted to this.

"All I want… right now…" he continued, resting his forehead on hers and holding her chin in one hand. "Is to hear you…"

She opened her eyes as best she could, lashes fluttering, and saw his intense blue eyes staring half-lidded at her. For as much as she blinked, as many times as her eyes rolled back, she could not lose his gaze. His free hand cupped her right breast, making her moan. Her hands clenched again. He could feel the nail-punctures bleeding. All the time, he never stopped thrusting entirely into her. Slowly, letting her feel every inch of muscle twitching, rippling, writhing under her hands, he leaned in to place his lips by her ear.

"Scream."

And when he pushed all the way into her and stayed there, for once unmoving, she did. All she could feel was his length, pulsing and twitching inside her… and her own muscles… the spasms they did around him. Her heart beat in her fingers, in her face – everywhere but in her chest. Lightning split the sky before her closed eyes and thunder crashed in her ears. Her own voice filtered in as well, moans and shrieks… A scream…

Colors continued to pop in front of her eyes as Thor started to move again, in and out of her, so very slowly. Her throat felt raw from that first high scream. His lips captured hers as he encouraged her to meet his hips again. That deep, rough voice kept whispering to her. He wanted her to come again, told her so. She tried to tell him, though, that she couldn't stop… Her voice just wouldn't make the words.

Instead, strings of sounds, some of them profane, spilled from her lips. She could taste blood. Couldn't be sure whether it was her own or his… Had she bitten her lip? Or had she bitten him again? Tremors rattled through her entire body, making even her lips vibrate. Strong arms continued to hold her, their owner's muscular body still pressed flush against hers.

"You did want me to scream…" she rasped out sheepishly, once more opening one eye. "Did you like it?"

Thor's hair tickled her cheek as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"It isn't over yet."

But he would let her calm down first, of course. His hand guided her head to his shoulder and he lay back against the wall of pillows. Her trembling body curled reflexively against him, knees drawing up to her chest. One hand came to rest on the swell of his pectoral muscle. He felt her shivering with each breath, her hair fanning across his upper body.

"_Mmm…_" sighed Maria, nuzzling her cheek into his chest. "I…. ngh… _love…_"

What she loved remained unclear – she yawned sweetly, closing her eyes.

Thor, still hard and ready to go, for once considered himself unlucky to have godly stamina. Obviously, this woman had not been pleased like this before and it was unlikely she would hold out much longer. If he started again too soon, he could do her serious harm. To keep her going, he trailed fingertips over her body. Gooseflesh rose on her arms and her breasts peaked prettily at the chills he caused in her.

"Take all the time you need," he purred, twirling his fingers through her tangled hair. "This night goes on as long as we need it to…"


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **_**If you've seriously read all of this and still think that I think this stuff is mine, you're out of your head. Seriously, if you think I'm THAT delusional, you need more therapy than I do! But yeah… Smut in this chapter too! I'm thinking of writing an epilogue, if y'all are really that interested.**_

Chapter 6

It didn't take Thor long to realize that the woman had fallen asleep on him, one hand on his chest. He chuckled lightly to himself – well, there were some who could run a marathon and some who sprinted. Sighing contentedly, he leaned his head back into the pillows. It wouldn't hurt to let her sleep a bit. So he let his own eyes close and pulled a light blanket over both of them.

* * *

Truly, he had not been entirely asleep. If asked, he would of course say that he had allowed her to think that she was being clever. But he could not claim a lack of enjoyment for what she had decided to do next…. It had started with her hands once more moving over his chest and shoulders. Then her lips began to caress his throat. He shifted comfortably at her hair trailing over his skin.

"I did know you were awake," he informed her, still trying to hold his head up proudly.

It didn't quite work with massive bed-head. Maria looked up at him and grinned, the spirit he had first seen in her returning. Her hand moved very deliberately down his body. Grinning still, he tilted his head curiously at her. The mortal woman gave him a smile to rival the goddess Freya. And her hand wrapped securely around his length. His eyes widened for a moment, but then narrowed in warning.

"Okay, I'll pretend I agree with you," she practically purred, her hand starting to move up and down him. "Sure… you knew I was awake. _Really_…"

A growl rumbled up from deep in his chest, but as she continued the motion of her hand, all he could reasonably do was twist both fists in the blankets. Maria, seeming to be quite enjoying herself, sat up on her knees beside him. In this new position, she could use both hands. Thor's jaw clenched and his white-hot blue eyes burned in her direction.

It had become a contest of wills – of course he had authority as a god to simply command her to stop. But that, at this point, would be tantamount to admitting weakness before a mortal woman! Maria's eyes simply twinkled back under the blue fire of his gaze. The little minx was thoroughly enjoying herself! He ground his teeth, both due to sensation and the fact that he had been… what was it? Suckered in! She had managed to place herself in the position of control without him even having the opportunity to cut off the attempt!

Her hands continued to do things to him that, if he had had them done before, he couldn't remember at all. Then her lips touched his tip again and he about lost control. The sensations, combined with the image of her like that, made something snap in his mind. But when he reached for her, she did the unthinkable! The wench _slapped his hands_! His mouth dropped open and he stared at her in dismay. Maria merely shook her head.

"No…" she said softly.

Thor bristled – did she really just say _no _to him?

"I want to be on top this time," she told him, looking up through lowered eyelashes. "So just let me…"

His smirk returned and he stretched his powerful arms out before lacing his fingers behind his head. All right – he would see what she could do. Maria's lips curved in the most mischievous of smiles. She crawled up his body with the ease and grace of any of the palace's dancing girls. Her soft, smooth skin slid against his length, and she looked up at him, running her tongue over her lips.

Her breasts pressed up against his chest as she bent her back into the shape of a drawn bow. Thor released one hand from behind his head and, just to see what she would do, smacked her pert bottom quite firmly! She yelped in consternation and her hips wriggled beneath his hand. Those hazel-green eyes flashed at him, white teeth nipping the skin of his chest in retaliation.

"_Trust me_…" she hissed, pressing their upper bodies together again, carefully holding her hips away from his. "You'll like what I do."

Quite a change from what she had been only moments ago! There was no trace of fear in her countenance. As a matter of fact, even with her flushed face and tangled hair, she held herself with a sense of untouchable beauty. Even in Asgard, very few women presented themselves this way, particularly within the bedroom… Thor decided it was something in which he could take a hearty interest!

And Maria arched her back even more to push her breasts close to his face, bracing her hands on his shoulders. His hand slid from her behind up her back to rest between her shoulders. Firmly, he held her to him and let his mouth work wonders on each of her breasts in turn. She moaned softly, lips caressing his forehead, and let her soft skin briefly touch his tip. He thrust upwards automatically – the god of thunder did not do the whole 'patience' thing well.

"I do not take well to being teased, my dear," he warned her, every muscle in his body alight with electricity. "Make good on your promises soon…"

She quirked an eyebrow at him and tilted her head in a most feline fashion.

"Again… no, you're going to have to wait!" she all but chirped, thoroughly enjoying her position on top of him. Her skin touched him again, this time showing him that she had become wet again. "I'm having fun."

And once more, she slid her wetness along his length; careful to pull away when Thor thrust his hips up again, growling in frustration. Maria even had the audacity to _laugh_ as she teased him! His hand twitched on her back, sliding up to the back of her neck. She tensed, ready for him to attempt pinning her beneath him again. In fact, time seemed to slow down as his hand snarled in her hair.

But just as he meant to pull her off him and throw her down on the bed, she sank onto him in one fluid motion. His hand tightened painfully in her hair, causing her to gasp, but she continued sliding herself up and down on him. The arm that had remained behind his head wrapped around her. His hand rested once more on her backside. Every time her hips thrust back, he let her have a resounding spank…

"Fuck! That's good" she growled at him with fingernails biting into his shoulders again. "That's it… you can spank me _hard_…"

Maria's tongue slid over the curve of his cheek, just above where his beard terminated. Thor let out a groan in response – this woman became an _animal_ when she gained control… and he fucking loved it! His large, solid hand smacked against her behind once more. She let out a blissful yell, tossing her head back. The hand in her hair tightened once more.

"Oh damn… that's right…" her voice had dropped into her chest now, low and raspy. "I'm so fucking bad… really _spank _me!"

Thor reeled his hand back and it made contact hard enough to leave the perfect red stamp of his hand on her skin. He kept it there for long enough that the contact started to burn. Then he let the lightning flow through him. Their skin crackled at every point that they touched. Her insides twitched, even convulsed around him. He spanked her again, and her cries turned soft and breathy. Her eyes met his, half-lidded and clouded with lust.

"Feels _so _fucking good…" And he thrust inside her, watching her smile in open-mouthed perfection. "Oh shit! Oh my… OH!"

Maria leaned forward, pressing herself tight to him and letting her hips do the work. His length pulsed inside her, their heartbeats together sweeping up the perfect thunderstorm. Lightning flashed when their eyes met. Her hands gripped his shoulders while his arms held her close. He found himself wanting to come, to possess her fully. She had been on the edge for a while.

"You know how to please a god," Thor grated out, his voice getting caught in his throat as his muscles tightened.

She couldn't answer him, crying out instead as she pushed her hips down harder against him. For a moment, she could swear that a bolt of lightning had just passed through her entire body, striking her between her legs. Sensation overcame her and she clung hard to him. Tremors shook her, causing her voice to waver. This couldn't last much longer – her body simply couldn't handle it!

As her inner muscles kept on twitching around him, Thor's arms tightened as well. Maria had started to lose control. Her body bucked hard against his, her head tossing on his shoulder like it had on the pillows earlier. He let himself start breathing harder. Every muscle in his body seemed to tense one at a time, starting in his shoulders and calves, working their way to his hips. He felt heat pooling in his belly.

"You are remarkable," he whispered, his voice shaking for the first time that night. "We are both close… Hold on."

His voice barely filtered into her ears, where everything seemed to buzz with the lightning and thunder. But what she heard was '_hold on_' and so she did. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her face hidden once more. Her hips writhed out of her control and she held on as tightly as she could. It had all become too much for her and tears poured down her cheeks again. Sweat burst in seeming torrents from her skin, electrifying.

Thor's breathing had shifted in tone, now heavy and stilted. His hands on her behind and in her hair tightened to white-knuckled grip. Maria screamed as her body shook against him. Brilliant lights popped before him as he shut his eyes. His hips started to buck as well and he felt the dam inside him break. A guttural roar escaped his throat and he turned the two of them over. His body pressed down on her and he came splendidly inside her.

Maria's arms went limp and fell away from his shoulders. Thor had the presences of mind, momentarily, to lay the two of them side by side. He had sworn not to do her harm… The ecstasy lasted for a time neither of them could tell.

* * *

The god was first to wake.

Beside him, he found a tangle of auburn hair on his shoulder and an expanse of suntanned skin. Maria lay beside him, facing him, on her side, with one hand up by her face. Gently, Thor raised a hand and brushed the snarls of hair off her cheek – she smiled in her sleep. He pushed himself up on one arm, watching her carefully. Her face in particular touched his heart.

Her eyelashes rested delicately against her cheeks. Dried streams of tears still stained her skin. Though her lips still curved upwards, he saw the stains of blood and a rough bite mark on her lower lip. Smiling himself, he traced the swell of her lips with one fingertip. Making a soft sound, she turned her head away from his hand, now stirring fretfully.

"Wake up, my dear," purred Thor, settling back down beside her so as not to frighten her.

She grunted at him and turned over, yanking a blanket up to her ears. The god smiled again, laughing softly. Maria curled into a ball under the light blanket, pressing her back into Thor's chest. He wrapped his arm around her with all tenderness, pulling her close. Was he mistaken or did he hear her just… sniffle?

Yes, when he looked closer, he saw her crying softly in her sleep. And a thought occurred to him… He thought of how she had behaved as a captive. Perhaps… She turned in her sleep again, one arm reaching out away from both of them for something he could not tell. Her teeth dug once more into her lip. Something inside the god's heart stirred. He recognized that feeling.

She wanted to go home.

He touched her face again, brushing more of that auburn tangle away. Her brows had knitted together and she frowned. As carefully as he could, Thor slid his hand under her head, the other arm around her. He pulled her into a sitting position. Wrinkling her nose and growling softly, she barely looked at him before letting her head drop forward. Clearly, they had reached her limit.

"You have satisfied me," he whispered, moving one hand down around her shoulders and the other under her knees. Gently, carefully so as not to wake her, he lifted her up close. "So I do owe you one last gift."

And he let her down easily, moving from the bed himself to find his trousers. After a moment, he turned back to the bed to find Maria had not moved. She stirred slightly when he knocked one boot over while putting the other on. But she did not wake and likely would not for some time. He slipped on his shirt and mail-shirt, throwing his cape easily around his shoulders. Then he picked up his hammer and affixed it to his belt.

Keeping the blanket wrapped around her, he lifted her into his arms. His armor gave no chill against her skin. Looking down, he saw her smile again as her head found its place on his shoulder. She might have found real comfort in him, but he had given her his word not to harm her. And with her reaction to being in Asgard in the first place…

"_Heimdall… open the rainbow bridge,_" he called in his mind, hearing the passage-god respond affirmatively. "_I shall be there soon._"

So the god of thunder proceeded out of the chamber. He continued along the hallways without having to look where he was going. The palace itself seemed to guide him along. Maria's small weight curled in close to his chest and she relaxed into sleep again. Thor watched her face settle into a neutral expression. He could still feel her heartbeat.

"My lord Thor," greeted Heimdall in his deep, distant voice. "Why do you seek passage on the Rainbow Bridge?"

The god of thunder narrowed his blue eyes – now was not the time for the damned mysterious bastard to start questioning him!

"I have given my word in a personal matter," he said shortly. "That is all you truly need know."

If the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge was surprised by any of the proceedings, of course he gave no indication of it. He simply started the process to open the Rainbow Bridge to allow Thor and his… companion… to pass through. The passage began to rumble. Thor shifted the girl to one arm, fixing the blanket closer around her to preserve her modesty. Maria made a snuffling noise and tucked her arm in, holding the blanket.

"Whenever you are ready, my lord," Heimdall informed them, looking out into the Everlast. "The Rainbow Bridge is ready for passage into Midgard."

Thor inclined his head to the passage-god, who bowed back out of respect.

"I thank you, Heimdall," he declared in his princely voice. "And we are ready. I shall return soon."

The other god stepped aside, giving Thor room to come forward. Taking a deep breath, the thunder god could only hope Maria did not wake up on the trip. The Rainbow Bridge was not an easy journey, even for the gods. He held her closer with one arm and put the other hand to the handle of his hammer. Drawing the weapon, he took another deep breath and stepped forward. The Rainbow Bridge took him easily and he used the hammer to keep true.

It didn't take long before the two of them landed safely on solid ground. Thor looked around, taking in the area. Brick buildings lined two sides of a square asphalt lot. There were cars in most of the two-line spaces. He looked up to the moon – it was full and a brilliant shade of flaming orange. The longer he stared, the more clouds moved into the sky. Blue-white lightning crackled between the big fluffy formations. He let the lightning tell him where to go.

A few long strides had him at the front door of the apartment that his godly senses indicated. The knob turned easily in his hand. He barely noticed the nasty crunching noise of the lock breaking. But then he pushed the door open, nudged it closed behind him, and looked around. Where might her bedchamber be? An irritable "_mew_" caught his attention and he turned to tilt his head at the fat gray cat on the strangely-printed couch.

"Ah," he said to himself as he turned around and found a door that led into a cluttered room with a bed shoved into the back corner of it.

He stepped into the room and noticed that she seemed to have kicked specific paths in the piles of clothing and other objects. One led straight to the side of her bed. It was unmade and no two blankets matched. Some of them had pictures of odd characters on them. As carefully as he could, he leaned over and laid her down on the bed. The blanket had tangled around her on the trip, so he worked it loose.

Maria turned over to face him. Her eyes barely opened, but he was sure she could see him through her sleepy haze. He knelt beside her bed and took her hand. The hazel-green eyes fluttered at him. Leaning in close, he kissed her lips softly… gently… She made a quiet, happy-sounding noise and sleepily kissed him back. They stayed that way for a long moment before he had to pull away.

"If ever you are in need," he promised her. "Call to me. We shall meet again."

A tear rolled down her cheek, but she smiled at him. With that, a gentle breeze swirled through her bedroom. He looked as though he wanted to reach out and touch her once more, but stilled his hand. A soft white light illuminated him as he stood and she closed her eyes as it brightened. She heard his voice tell her once more "_We shall meet again_." Her lips curved in a bright, still kiss-swollen smile. The breeze seemed to touch her as his hands had. With her hair floating around her face, she fell asleep.


	8. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **_**Still not mine. Still don't sue. Still got jack squat. Also, this is a short chapter. Just a small epilogue to set the tone for the next fic. That's right folks – you lovelies get a sequel! Yay!**_

Epilogue

Maria Barsi woke the next morning feeling like she had been hit by a truck. A policeman had awakened her at some ungodly hour of the morning. He told her of the 911 dispatcher's complaint of a prank phone call from this address. She stared at him, nonplussed, when wanted to know her whereabouts the previous night. When she could tell him nothing – nothing she could believably mention – he offered to take her to the hospital, in case she'd been drugged. Not wanting this situation any messier than it already was, she told him that she would prefer to let the incident drop.

"Well, ma'am, normally I wouldn't do this, but I'll say okay this time," he had told her. "I do advise you to go to a doctor when you're feeling steadier, just to get yourself checked out."

Of course she had no intention of doing any such thing. She knew what had happened last night. Had a hard time believing it, but there was no way it couldn't have been real. She dragged herself to the bathroom and gave herself the once-over. Yep… The whole nine yards – hickeys, purple bruises around her neck, and a hand print that spanned the width of her right buttock.

She grabbed her comb and tried to force her hair back into some semblance of order. Sniffing herself gingerly, she found that the scent of lavender oil had not entirely been overpowered by the smells of sweat and sex. Smiling, she held the ends of her hair close to her face, comforted by the smell. Thanks to the oil, her hair untangled far more easily than it normally would have.

Her shoulders fell as she looked herself over in the mirror again. How could she ever look herself or anybody else in the face? She had been made to… No. No one had made her do anything beyond being there. She had done all those things with him of her own free will. Some woman she was… All but a trafficking victim and she fucking _enjoyed it. _

Was it a short-term form of Stockholm syndrome? Could she find some scientific reasoning to explain away what she had done? No… If she was perfectly honest with herself, she didn't want to. It was interesting, having both no responsibility and all of it. No one could blame her for being taken to a place against her will… But everyone would hate her for letting him have his way with her. The best part though was… She didn't have to tell anybody.

No one knew what happened last night. Not one of the seven billion people on Planet Earth would ever have to know. It would be her secret. That was it. She would just never tell anybody. She would keep last night and the man who caused it safely tucked away in her heart and mind. Then she could visit them later. Hell, maybe he even meant it when he said they would meet again.

This brought her to her next thought: he had let her go. Like the Beast did with Belle. He had told her he owed her a gift. And then just like that, he had brought her home, even tucked her into bed and kissed her goodbye. She stared hard into the mirror as if she expected to see him looking back. Of course, all she could see were the marks he had left on her skin.

As she picked up her toothbrush, she paused. Did she really want to wash the combined tastes of their blood out of her mouth yet? It was a powerful feeling. Then her knees went numb for a second and she stumbled on the tile floor. She had _bitten a god! _And scratched his face! Made his back and chest bleed… and he had rewarded her for it! Would he have that bite mark on his shoulder tomorrow? Or however they measured time where he came from. She looked at her hands – blood still caked under her fingernails.

Should she go get that stuff tested? Was it possible to get DNA from it? If she did, what would it show up as? Or would they just have her hauled off someplace… like the loony bin? She set the toothbrush back down, figuring she'd deal with it as soon as it felt weird. Then she left the bathroom and went to sift through the wreckage of her blanket nest. The blanket from the bedroom in Asgard was still there, plus something else… The dress – that beautiful lavender gown, apparently a gift from the god himself, had become twisted in the blanket.

Carefully, she lifted the dress out of the blanket-tangle. Yes, she would keep this a secret too. No one would ever see it or know about it. Eyeing the clutter on her floor, she crossed the room to her closet. Sighing, she hung the gown up carefully in the very back. She supposed she should be embarrassed at a god seeing her room in this condition. But she didn't really care that much.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of shorts and wriggled into both, leaving the bedroom to feed the cat. The fat gray animal looked up at her as if to say "oh, you're back?" Even the cat didn't care that she had been fucking abducted as a sex slave. But had it really been so bad?

No one she had been with had ever treated her like that before. There was pain involved, but he had been true to his word and done her no harm. He could be rough, even animalistic, but it seemed he genuinely liked being gentle. She could hear a gentle pattering sound outside. That was odd – they'd said it was going to be hot and dry all weekend. Cautiously, she opened the door and went to stand on the back porch. It was raining.

She looked up to the sky. It thundered back.


End file.
